A New Beginning
by Fighting4Fantasy
Summary: After the Battle of Hogwarts had come to an end, Hermione ran into an old classmate she suspected long gone and a long hidden truth is revealed. Oneshot.


It was August 16th, a few months after the Battle of Hogwarts, and Hermione Granger had finally made the decision to go back to school for her seventh, and final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. That was the reason she found herself waiting just outside the wizarding bank, Grigotts, with several Galleons and Sickles in her bag, waiting on her friend Ginny. They were going to shop for school material together, seeing as they'd be spending their last year together.  
What would've taken months, maybe even years, for Muggles to repair, took only a few weeks with magic; Hogwarts castle was up and running, fully functional.  
Hermione wondered if she was making the right decision. Of course she wanted to go back to school, but was it too soon? After everything that had happened would she be able to focus on her Transfiguration lesson?  
She was vaguely wondering who would be the new transfiguration teacher with Professor McGonagall asHeadmistress, when she was pulled out of her thoughts by a head of flaming hair pushing her way through the crowded street towards where she stood.  
"Hey, Hermione," Ginny greeted when she finally reached the edge of the crowd.  
"Hey," she replied. "You all set?"  
Ginny did a quick sweep of the few things she was carrying (a small cauldron for books and a half empty bag of Galleons) and nodded.  
"Let's get going."  
Their first stop was in Flourish and Blotts, where they got their school books (checking the 'used' section first) and afterwards they made their was to Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions. Seeing as Ginny's robes were destroyed in the fire (along with many other basic needs) and since she was the only Weasley child to be attending school this year, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were able to scrape together enough money for Ginny to get new robes this year.  
A year ago, Ginny would've been excited to get her first set of brand new robes, but after what everyone went through not even a year beforehand, it would take a lot more than brand new robes to get Ginny smiling.  
Although Ginny was still as fierce and probably the most high spirited of any of them, she had a lot more in perspective; they all did.  
It was very bright outside, and when leaving Madam Milkin's, Hermione had to block the sun with her hand so she could see, but it was too late; she had already shouldered into somebody and knocked the books that they were carrying, not to mention her own, onto the ground.  
"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed. "I am so sorry!"  
She looked up at the man she ran into. It was Draco Malfoy.  
Both Hermione and Ginny stopped. No one was expecting to see him for a long time.  
Draco mumbled something about it being no trouble and began picking up both of their books.  
Regaining herself, Hermione bent down to help him. She straightened with a few books in her arms and handed them to Draco. He offered her her own copy of the Standard Book of Spells (Grade 7) but when she tried to take it, he held on.  
"Can we talk?" he asked quietly.  
Puzzled, Hermione looked to Ginny.  
"Could you give us a minute?"  
Ginny nodded. "I'll be outside Florean's," she said, and gave Hermione a gentle look that said one thing: "be careful". And with that she was gone and they were alone.  
Or as alone as two people in a crowded book shop could be.  
Hermione looked at Malfoy, ready to speak, but stopped at the look he gave her.  
"Just hear me out, Granger. Please."  
Draco's eyes, and voice, held what seemed like a million emotions all at once; exhaustion, sadness, fear.  
Guilt.  
"Alright," Hermione said, not unkindly. "What is it?"  
"Um.. Well, about what happened at my family's manor... Not just that, but everything. I didn't.. Well, I guess I... I messed up," he stammered. "I was stupid. I didn't realize what was important. What was right in front of me."  
He spoke quickly, as if he had to get the words out fast enough or they'd be lost.  
Hermione noticed Draco's hands shaking.  
"Grang—" he cut himself off. "Hermione. I made a lot of mistakes. I know that now. They were stupid. I was stupid and I was scared. I was a coward. But the truth is.." he faltered. "Hermione, I love you. I have for a long time," the words were tumbling out. "But like I said, I was scared. Of my reputation, of what my parents would say. But none of that matters now. All that matters is you." He dared to meet her startled gaze.  
Had she heard wrong? Hermione took a step back. This was wrong. She never even expected to hear an apology from him, let alone confession of love. Not from Malfoy of all people. Draco Malfoy? In love with her? A Muggle-born?  
Her thoughts flew like a whirlwind, spinning a million miles an hour.  
Everything that had happened, how much of it was he faking? How much was he using to throw everyone off, including herself, about the truth of his feelings. How much was he using to keep himself from the ridicule of his family and so-called friends. Was everything she knew about him wrong?  
No, she thought. Not everything.  
She placed a hand of Draco's shoulder and lightly kissed him on the cheek.  
"No you don't", she said gently.  
Draco looked taken aback. "B-but—"  
"If you did you would have done something, at the manor. Instead you just stood by. Did you hear Ron calling for me? Through everything that was happening, that was what I focused on. Through the pain and the fear, I focused on the sound of his voice. On how I knew that if he were up there with us at that very moment he would have done anything he possibly could to keep harm from coming to me."  
Hermione looked at him gently.  
"Draco, you may have some sort of affection, but whatever it is, it's not love." She gave him a gentle smile.  
"I have no doubt you'll find someone, someday. But it'll be different than this. You'll see. She'll be the girl for whom you're willing to stand up to those who frighten you most. You'll be able to defy anyone to save her. And whoever she is, she'll be very lucky."  
Hermione could see the disappointment in Draco's eyes. It had taken a great deal of courage for him to confess his feelings. She respected that, but she told him what he needed to hear.  
She gently pulled her spell book from his arm and placed it in her cauldron.  
"Draco," she said. He looked up at her. "I hope you find what you're looking for."  
She turned and walked away, off to meet Ginny by the ice cream shop, leaving Draco to stand there and try to collect his stray thoughts.

Draco felt hollow. He wasn't entirely sure that she wouldn't slap him, but he wasn't expecting that. He was hoping for something a bit more.  
He left the shop and made his way down the street. He was naïve to believe he'd get anything more than that. He was lucky she was kind and understanding instead of lashing out at him. He would've deserved it if she had.  
Draco found himself outside the Leakey Cauldron. Not normally his kind of scene but he decided a drink would be nice, even if it was from a run down place like this.  
He sat down on one of the empty bar stools and placed his order.  
The bar tender grunted. Not a moment after, a beautiful young women with light chocolate hair sat down next to him.  
"Make that two, Tom. On me," she said. "You look down, Draco," she turned to him. "What's up?"  
"I'm sorry," he said, confused. "You seem to know me, but I don't know you."  
The woman smiled kind of embarrassed.  
"I don't expect you to remember. I was in your charms class last year."  
"I had my mind on other things, then."  
"Didn't we all," she said. "Don't avoid the question. What's wrong?"  
He sighed and put his head in his hand for a moment before looking at her.  
"I screwed up," he said finally. "I messed up when it came to the only person who really mattered. And I don't think it can be fixed."  
The girl considered him for a moment. Who was she? And why was he telling his problems to a near stranger? Tom came over with their drinks and she took them both, offering him one.  
"Well you know what they say: when one door opens..."  
He took her drink and his mouth twitched up sadly.  
She held her glass up. "To mistakes made and lessons learned."  
Draco touched his glass to hers and downed half of it in one large gulp.  
"I never did get your name," he said after setting his glass down.  
"So you didn't," she said. She gave him a warm smile.  
"My name's Astoria."

Fin

(A/N):  
I did repost this. It wasn't that great and I salvaged what I could, but let me know what you think!

Special thanks to my sis for being my editor.


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